Executive Order for Healthcare Transparency

To drive down the rising costs of healthcare, President Trump signed an executive order that will require price transparency from healthcare providers. The idea behind this is that by allowing patients to see costs up front, they will have the option to shop around for their healthcare. The executive order would also create more competition in the healthcare marketplace which would theoretically cause costs for services to go down.

Too often, patients who receive services from hospitals are faced with sticker-shock when they receive hefty, surprising and often multiple bills. Alex Azar, Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) explained that the new rule will require hospitals to disclose prices that patients actually pay in “an easy-to-read, patient-friendly format.” The executive order will also require healthcare providers and insurers to provide patients with information about their out-of-pocket costs before they receive services.

Regardless of this, imaging services provided in a hospital or hospital-owned outpatient center can still cost up to 5 to 10 times as much as the same services provided in a freestanding imaging center.

RadNet has always been a proponent of patient empowerment. We believe that patients who make informed decisions about their health live healthier lives. Our collaborative approach to healthcare means that our patients, radiologists and support staff are all a part of the same team. We provide transparency with costs and we make it easy for you to find results and answers about your health.